26th Annual Fall Beach Sweeps - October 22nd

Sandy Hook, NJ – The beaches provided endless hours of joy this summer to many and all are encouraged to now give back by participating in the 266h Annual Fall Beach Sweeps on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Volunteers are asked to collect and tabulate debris from beaches at nearly 70 sites along the New Jersey coast. The Beach Sweeps begin at 9am and end at 12:30pm, rain or shine.

Volunteer “Beach Captains” will greet volunteers at each site, distribute cleanup materials, and give instructions throughout the event. For a complete list of sites, the group pre-registration form, and other tips, visit www.cleanoceanaction.org and follow the links for “Beach Sweeps.”

Over the past 26 years, Beach Sweepers have removed over 4 million pieces of trash from the beaches and waterways of New Jersey. More importantly, over 85,000 citizens, both the small and the tall, have been educated about the harmful effects of litter and are motivated to make a difference.

“Through the Beach Sweeps event, volunteers create a legacy of information by recording the quantity and types of debris they find,” stated Tavia Danch, Clean Ocean Action’s Education Coordinator for Pollution Prevention. COA collects, analyzes, and publishes the data in its Annual Beach Sweep Report. The report is useful in helping to identify pollution problems, aid legislators in enacting laws to protect our marine environment, and inform local and international efforts to combat marine pollution. The Annual Beach Sweep Reports are available online at www.cleanoceanaction.org.

Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweeps are part of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest volunteer effort to improve our lakes, oceans and rivers. All volunteer collected data is submitted and included in Ocean Conservancy’s global report on marine debris.

COA encourages participation from volunteers of all ages individually or from businesses, families and organizations. Groups of 10 or more are asked to pre-register using the online sign-up form on COA’s website at www.cleanoceanaction.org or by calling (732) 872-0111. Pre-registration for individuals or groups of less than 10 is not required, simply choose a location and arrive the day-of, where a Beach Captain will provide volunteers with supplies and instructions. Volunteers should bring gloves, dress for the weather, apply sunscreen, and wear closed-toed, hard-soled shoes.